1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three position nozzle assembly for mounting to the front end of the body of a trigger sprayer and in communication with a passageway in the trigger sprayer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a nozzle assembly which has a rotatable cap mounted on a bushing connected to the body of the trigger sprayer which cap is rotatable between three positions, a stop position, a spray position and a foam position and wherein the cap has a foam generating chamber which is utilized when the cap is rotated to the foam position and an element in the cap which is also moved into a foam generating position when the cap is rotated so that foam is generated and dispensed from the nozzle assembly instead of a spray.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore various foam generating nozzle assemblies have been proposed.
Some examples of these previously proposed foam generating nozzle assemblies are disclosed in the following patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,350,298 Tada 4,463,905 Stoesser et al ______________________________________
In the Tada U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,298, a cap of a nozzle assembly is moved outwardly to establish a foam position of the assembly from an off position. The nozzle assembly disclosed in this patent only has two positions, namely a foam position or an off position and does not have a spray position. In one embodiment, the cap is rotated about a threaded member to move the cap outwardly from the off position of the nozzle assembly.
The Stoesser et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,905 discloses a nozzle assembly including a screen mounted on a hinged panel at the front of a trigger sprayer. The hinged panel can be moved upwardly to place the assembly in a spray position and can be moved downwardly to place the nozzle assembly in a foam position.
In the Maas copending application Ser. No. 158,329, there is disclosed a foam generating assembly which has an outer piece and an inner piece with the outer piece removably or releasably fixed to the inner piece. When the outer piece is connected to the inner piece the nozzle assembly can be rotated between a foam position and an off position. When the outer piece is removed from the inner piece, if they are not fixed together such as by spin welding, the inner piece can be rotated between an off position and a spray position. A parent application issued to U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,775.
In the foam position of the Maas nozzle assembly an air passageway opens at the front end of the nozzle assembly beneath a foam dispensing chamber of the nozzle assembly and extends rearwardly into the nozzle assembly to a chamber at the entrance to a foam generating chamber whereby air enters into the foam generating chamber with liquid being ejected from an orifice for mixing of the liquid with air in the foam generating chamber to form foam. At the same time, foam dripping from the foam dispensing chamber is sucked into the air passageway back to the entrance to the foam generating chamber. This air passageway concept is carried forward in this continuation-in-part application. In other respects, the structure of the nozzle assembly disclosed herein is significantly different from the prior Maas nozzle assembly.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the only movement required of the nozzle assembly of the present invention is rotation of a cap of the nozzle assembly between a stop position, a spray position and a foam position. No parts have to be lifted or moved outwardly from another part. As a result, the nozzle assembly of the present invention is easy to use, provides three positions, and comprises a minimum number of injection molded plastic parts which minimize the cost of the nozzle assembly.